Lt. Chekov was nervous when he went down
to the shuttle bay to greet theparty arriving in the long range shuttle.Priority-one, this had to be,well a
top priority personage, perhaps some sort of ambassador.Chekovhoped that who ever it was had brought spare parts for the weapons array.He mused on who could be in a hurry to join up with a crippled ship on a virtualsuicide mission as he waited for it to dock.

When the shuttle doors opened, he saw a
tall Vulcan female.She wasnot
beautiful, but she was what Chekov considered a handsome woman. Her featureswere
firm and regular, with a jaw line and cheekbones that models would killfor.
She wore only the slightest amount of make-up which accented her warm browneyes
and sweeping brows. Her sleek, black, hair was trimmed in neat Vulcanstyle;
she wore Vulcan attire simple, civilian, utilitarian. Chekov had thefeeling
that there was something familiar about her.

She asked, “Permission to come aboard,
sir?”

“Mr. Spock?!“ Chekov gasped.
His/her voice was softer and a little bithigher, but very recognizable. Chekov
was Spock‘s protégée and spent hours withthe man.Pavel didn‘t know why Mr. Spock was now female, but he recognizedher on an almost instinctive level. “Permission granted, sir! Granted!”

As Spock left the shuttle deck. Chekov
was still grinning.This wasgoing
to be interesting. He flipped a switch and began an urgent transmission,then
he hurried to the bridge to watch the fun.

Tspok thought how strange to be back
among humans.She had planned to“rejoin
the human race” as Doctor McCoy would have it.But not now, soclose to the end of a year of mental and physical change.Going
to Gol hadnot been easy. Telling her, then his, parents that he must become
female hadbeen truly daunting.He
had braced himself for the worst.Sareksurprised him, by saying, of course. Do what you must to find your trueself.Lady Amanda had wept. She confessed it was from relief and promisedto take her “new” daughter shopping.

Spock had always been an unusual child.The logical assumption wasbecause he
was half Vulcan and half human.Why isn’t human capitalized? Heused to ask.But there was something deeper. He was not comfortable
in hisskin.From the time he had
known the difference between boys and girls heknew that he should have been
a girl.

Vulcan children were raised in unisexual
manner and so for the most part itdid not matter. He remembered how he had brought
shame on his parents when hecried because he had had his hair cut while cousin
T’zahn did not.Hismother
whispered to him that he would feel different when he was older.

The bonding with T’Pring.Tspok shook her head. The pretty,self-assured girl had touched his mind and discovered his secret heart.She did not understand, but sent that she always thought girls were best.

After that he tried to accept his role
in Vulcan society. He put aside thefeeling that he should have been female,
told himself that it did not matteranymore than the taste of chocolate or the
bubbles of champagne.Logic washis
solace and his touchstone.

It was illogical to want the things
you could not have.Spokereminded
himself, until Leonard had been assigned to the Enterprise.Itwas after the affair of the enormous
amoebae that he confessed all to his friend and lover.Doctor McCoy thought the
reason took so many “damned fool”chances with his life, latent suicidal
tendencies stemming from his repressedneed to be female.It was with Leonard’s approval and encouragement thatSpock
found the courage to go to Gol and begin again.

And now, Tspok was about to meet the second
most important human in herlife.

The turbo lift doors to the bridge opened
and she stood there taking in thechaos.Kirk looked up to see an elegant, Vulcan female framed in the doorway.He smiled warmly and stepped up out of the pit to greet herpersonally.

“How do you do? I’m Admiral
James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. “Hedidn’t notice Decker
wince.“ While I’m flattered that the Federation should sendan ambassador
on this mission, but I don’t really think that this entity willlisten
to reason, miss.Miss?”

“Tspok.I am not here in an ambassadorial capacity.” She moved to thescience console where Decker was seated. “Commander, if I may...?”

It took Decker a moment to realize that
Tspok wanted to take over theconsole. He began getting to his feet, throwing
Kirk a look. However Kirk'sattention was totally on Tspok. And she was already
intent on computations shewas beginning to punch into the science computer while
unconsciously takingDecker’s place.

“I have been monitoring your Starfleet
transmissions, Admiral,“ she said,“Concerning your engine design
difficulties.” Tspok continued to enterinformation into the science computer.
A screen image started to show complexequations which she inspected. She punched
in more data and inspected a secondimage of other equations. Only then did she
seem to become aware of Kirk andDecker standing there with questioning expressions.
She continued “I offer myservices as Science Officer”

“Very impressive, ma‘am“
Kirk said; “Would you be good enough to tell mewho you are and just why
you think I give you a position on my bridgecrew?

Kirk was dumfounded.Spock a woman?He couldn't believe it, nothis best friend, his good right arm. A, what did they call it, a transsexual.And yet the evidence stood patiently in front of him.Why?He wantedto shout it across the bridge.
He never had a clue that there was anything wrongwith Spock. Certainly not this,
this ….

“SPOCK?” he managed to say
at last.

“It is I.However, my new name is pronounced Zhpahk,T-s-p-o-k.” Withgreat difficulty, Tspok schooled her features.In her Vulcan heart, sheknew that Jim would take the news badly.She
had been hoping to tell himprivately, as was tradition, but the current state
of emergency left her nochoice.She
could only hope that he would not over react and order her offhis ship.

Chekov interjected, “Da, Ts takes
a soft zee sound as in Tsar. Or should Isay tsarina?”

Meanwhile, Decker quietly took the proffered
plaque and confirmed that thisperson was who she claimed to be.He nodded to Commander Uhura, who tookher finger off the
emergency call button.

Jim’s mind was awhirl. He did not
need this!He had a ship that wasonly
half functional, a first officer who most certainly resented him, a Deltanfemale
on his bridge. The last thing he needed was Spock with PMS. His eyesflitted
from the person in front of him to the images on the screen.TheEnterprise needed his - her help.That much was certain, Kirk decided hecould
lay aside his personal feelings at least until the crisis had past.He
took a deep breath and turned toCommander Decker; “If our ExecutiveOfficer has no objections...?”

When the bridge doors opened again, Doctors
McCoy and Chapel appeared.Chekov alerted them before he left the shuttle bay
in case there wastrouble.Chapel
took a step towards the science officer inamazement.//Don’t laugh, Chris, don’t laugh.// A quick peak at theAdmiral almost dissolved her resolve.

“And I you, Doctor.” //Later,
Lenka// Tspok turned to Kirk, “With yourpermission, I will now discuss
these fuel equations with the Engineer.”

“Stop by sickbay afterwards, I want
Dr. McCoy to give you a completephysical.”

“I understand, sir.” She rose
from the science station and headed to thelift doors.

Before she reached the lift, Uhura said,
“It is good to have youback.”

Tspok never let her Vulcan stoicism slide,
but she half nodded, half bowedto the comm. officer and to the other delighted
bridge members.

With that Kirk realized that he was being
a real asshole.She did nothave
to be here, she could be safely home on Vulcan arranging flowers orwhatever
it was Vulcan ladies did.Kirk called after her: “Miss Spock,welcome aboard!

Uhura called down to Engineering
and let Scotty know that much had changedCommander Spock/Tspok was headed his
way. Scotty said he figured that Spock wasback. No one else could have come
up with those computations.

Mr. Scot did his best not to stare as he
worked along side the Vulcancommander. In the back of his mind, an idle thought
strayed to the surface. Ihope she does na wear a cat suit like the sub-commanders
of old used ta do. Thatcleared his mind. For while Tspok was healthy and well
formed, she was not aboutto win Miss Universe. Ny, on the other hand…

“Commander Tspok, reporting as ordered.”
She stood at attention, chest out,stomach in. Bones walked around his desk and
approached her.

“I really am glad to see you.”
He said as the stood face to face. “Butyou’re back early.Are you done? I mean with Gol, the treatments andtherapy?”He reached to touch her and hesitated as if she werefragile.

“I had completed all necessary healings.
All that remained was the partingceremony and my ‘coming out’ celebration.This entity actually reached outand
touched my mind.I felt compelled to join the Enterprise and confrontit. The high priestess
acknowledged its pull on me and released me.”Shereached out and touched his cheek. “You shaved.You
promised that youwould have a full beard the next time we met.”

With eyes closed savoring the sensation
of her touch, he said, “BlastedStar Fleet regulations.It’s bad enough, they draft a man back into activeduty,
but they made me shave as well.” He kissed her palm. “I’ll start anotherbeard for you when this is over.”

That kiss sent electric thrills though
out her body, exciting newly createderogenous zones. She kissed his lips, her
hand still on his face as if she wereafraid to let go.

He embraced her. He hugged the stuffing
out of her and returned her kisswith enthusiasm.His hand slid under her tunic and began to explore virginterritory.

She drew back to catch her breath, “This
body meets with your approval,Len?” She lifted her eyebrow.

“Are you asking me as a Vulcan or
a woman?” //I’m not walking into thattrap// he thought.

//Trap?// she sent.

He sent back snippets of his life
with Juliana.“Do you like my hairbetter now that its blond?” and the ensuing fight.

//I’m not Juliana.//

Aloud he said, “No shug, you’re
not. And to answer your question, in brief:Yes.You were always at war with your true nature.I remember whatan epiphany it was to discover it was not Vulcan versus human, but somethingburied deeper. This, “he indicated her new form, “was what you needed to staysane. I agreed with you then and I agree with you now.”

“But, I am different.” She
said. Leonard could feel her apprehension.

“You smell the same.” He trailed
his nose along her clavicle. “You tastethe same.” He nibbled at
her neck.She shivered and sighed. “Yep, that'spretty much the same, too.” His fingers lightly traced Tspok’s psi-points. “Andmost importantly, you are the same in here.”

“I love you, Leonard McCoy.”

“I love you, Tspok na Amanda.”

“Tspok?”

“Yes, let’s get you settled
in.You’re obviously in fine form.I’ll take you down to your quarters and you can requisition new uniforms fromthere.”

“And how do you know where my quarters
are?”

“Because I arranged for you to have
the cabin next to mine. We have anadjoining bathroom.The Enterprise is undermanned right now
and so afterChekov told me you had come aboard, I had no problem convincing
thequartermaster that old shipmates should be close.”

“An excellent idea - being close.”She tugged at his earlobe with herteeth
while trying to find a way into the new uniform.His fingers playedwith her nipple through the silk of her under tunic. Oh Ancestors, she neededhim.She wanted to lay him across his new desk and christen
it.Logically, however, this would be inappropriate.

She broke the clinch. “Not now, beloved.
Not here.We are still indanger,
the ship and indeed, the Earth itself.” She readjusted hergarments.

He laughed softly. “Well, you’re
still Spock, right enough.” He pulled himuniform top back into place.
“The best place I can think of is home. When we’redone saving the
world, what say you and I go home to our place in Georgia.”
Hewhispered in her sculpted ear; “Then we can take our sweet time making
sweetlove.”

“Yes, that is acceptable.”
She said dryly. She held up two fingers and hedid the same to seal their pledge.

As they stepped through the office doors
into the SickBay,
their fingerswere still touching. They stopped to let their hands do what the
rest of theirbodies wanted to.Tspok
traced Len’s long, cool fingers with her hot,silky ones still fragrant
with Vulcan sand spice. The scent rose to entice him.While her face was placid,
her mind was anything, but.Leonard could feelthe torrent of her desire flowing through this tenuous connection.Helooked into her eyes and felt himself go weak in the knees.She caught himaround the waist, her more-than-human strength
supporting him.

At that moment, Admiral James T. Kirk walked
into SickBay.He sawbefore him his CMO and CSO finger
kissing, locked in an amours embrace.Hegasped and froze.They noticed him and stood apart. They faced him matter-of-factly
and unapologetically.

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?”He bellowed. His face went red so fast,that
the physician part of Doctor McCoy worried that Jim was having astroke.“WHAT IN GOD’S NAME ARE YOU DOING?”

McCoy answered with a lopsided grin.“Kissing a beautifulwoman.”

“He is not a beautiful woman!He is Spock!” Kirk turned to Tspok;“You
bastard! You unnatural freak of nature.I want you off myship!”

“Aye, aye, sir. I shall get off at
the next star base.” She was as cold ashe was hot.

Damn it, he thought, the next star base
is a debris field and he knowsit.“You,
you are both under arrest for violation of Articles 125 &133 of the Uniform
Code of Military Justice.When I’m done with you,you’ll never wear a Star Fleet uniform again.Do I make
myself clear?!” Hewas vibrating with rage.

“Never wear Star Fleet uniform again?
Dammit, Jim.I retired fromStar
Fleet.You had me recalled.Hell
- You shanghighed me!All I wanted to do was to settle down with Tspok
on my farm in Sweetwater,Georgia.”Bones was angry too.He knew that Kirk was a littlehomophobic,
but this was ridiculous. “Go on, bust me down to civilian, and strip me of all rank and privileges.” He took a
deep breath, “But not now.Rightnow, we have a job to do.You know that as well as I do, probably better.”

“Admiral…” Tspok began.

“What?” Kirk snapped. “Do
you want to remind me that you have me over abarrel, too?”

“No, I merely wish to point out that
by the laws of my planet, I amfemale.The Federation and Star Fleet recognizes Vulcan law.Therefore,
Doctor McCoy and I have not violated the UCMJ. “She tilted her headslightly,
her/his “so you see” motion.

Kirk slammed his hand into the bulkhead.Lori.Oh, God,Lori.How could I forget?He punched the wall again.This timesomething crunched.Kirk swore and looked down at his bloody hand.Chris quietly stepped forward from where she and half of the staff had beenwitness to the breaking up of an old friendship.She took Kirk by the armand led him to a secluded exam table.

“Christine, have you always been
a woman?”He asked, unsure ofeverything.

“Ever since I was a little girl,
Jim.” She reassured him as she ran thescanner over his busted hand.

A young med tech came out with a vaporizer
and began to clean up theresults of Kirk’s tantrum.She said quietly, “Doctor Chapel requests thatyou wait
for her in the Sick Bay Conference Room.”They both nodded.

The conference room was a litter of crates
and coffee cups.The onlyattempt
at organization was bank of terminals on the far bulkhead.Therewas a sleeping pad and a blanket in the corner.

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve
ever said about me.” Lt. Commander Chapelsaid as she walked in.She was balancing a tray of hot drinks.“Twocoffees, an Earl Grey and a Mesqat.I’m not sure what
you like MissTspok.”

“Earl Grey is acceptable”
Tspok and McCoy set up three small crates aroundone about a cubic meter.

Leonard asked, “How’s Jim?”

“Physically?He’ll mend.Doctor M’Benga is taking care ofhim.Greg wanted to try out the new bone
knitter.”Bones started tosay
something sarcastic. “Save it, Len.I know your name is on thepatent.”Len humph-ed. “Actually, I am following
the Admiral’sorders.He asked
me to keep an eye on you.”

“Doctor Chapel, I do not believe
that this is how an undercover operativeshould proceed.” The Vulcan said
wryly.

“I prefer to think of myself as an
overt operative.It has a muchbetter
ring, than double agent.” She explained, “Kirk assumes that I must be asincensed and shocked as he is.Well, I’m not.I’ve known for yearsthat you two are lovers.”

McCoy almost did a spit take.Tspok asked; “How?I thought wewere very careful.”

“You can’t fool the medi-scanners.”

“And you didn’t have a problem?”

“I figured that the best man won,
so to speak.”She saidlightly.

“Not just a case of the proverbial
sour grapes, Chris?”McCoy wasconcerned.

“Yeah, for about five minutes.At first, I howled my head off andthen
I laughed.I asked "what’s Leonard got that I haven’t got" and Ilaughed again.”Her smile was bright
and sincere.

Tspok got right to the point; “Then,
you will help us.? “She lookpleadingly at Doctor Chapel. “I did
not come here to cause trouble or to force aconfrontation with Jim.Indeed, I would still be on Vulcan preparing formy T’pa-nek-sha.
However, this mission is of paramount importance.”

“Of course.“ She nodded.“I don’t have the Admiral’s emotionalbaggage. I’m a citizen of the Federation, not Bible-belt,
Iowa.” She took a sipof her
coffee.“I’ll take to Captain, damn it, Commander Decker.Hopefully, our admiral will listen to his first officer.”

“You are acquainted with Mr. Decker?”

“He didn’t pick my name at
random from the Medical Personnel Roster.We met first socially at a Deltan-human
interest seminar.That was theextent
of my anti-Vulcan backlash.We met later professionally while I wasstationed at Persephone practicing zero-gee medicine.”

McCoy smiled, “I read that
paper that you and Doctor Kumarco-authored.It was brilliant.I damned near hung it up on myrefrigerator.”

“Leonard, why would you wish
to display a copy of Doctor Chapel’sdissertation on your food preservation
unit?”

Chris and Leonard laughed.“Because he felt a sense of paternal pridein my accomplishment
and was tempted to display my work as many human parentsdo. Thanks, Pappy.”

“He’s a good Star Fleet
officer.By-the-book, but willing to write anew amendment when necessary.I know for a fact that he has nothingagainst gays and lesbians serving in the Fleet, but that’s a story he shouldreally tell you himself.”

They all relaxed and drank their drinks.
Finally, Christine allowed herselfto study Tspok clinically.“A total sex change. Now, that did surpriseme.It looks good on you though.Still just
the one name?”

“I have several names. Tspok
is the one that is used with outsiders, justas Spock was. She took McCoy’s
hand. “When we reach Earth, I will append a humansurname to my family
name.”

“When we reach Earth.”Chris raised her coffee cup in a toast.“L’Chiam”

“L’Chiam” The lovers
echoed.All three drained their cups, crumpledthem and tossed them into the corner.